A Nigerian woman was arrested at an airport outside Washington after
ingesting nearly five pounds (over two kilograms) of heroin pellets, in
what US officials called the biggest bust of its kind.

US Customs
and Border Protection officers first grew suspicious of Bola Adebisi
after her arrival from Nigeria on March 14, when she claimed she was
staying with her brother in the United States but was unable to provide
his address, phone number or a physical description.

An agent at Washington Dulles International Airport then found her stomach to be particularly rigid during a routine pat down.

The
52-year-old was taken to a local hospital, where an X-ray detected a
large amount of unusual objects in her stomach. And she then began
passing pellets, according to the CBP.

After three days, Adebisi
passed a total of 180 thumb-sized pellets for a combined weight of 4
pounds, 12 ounces (2,157 grams). The heroin has an approximate street
value of about $150,000.

The seizure surpassed the previous record
for ingested pellets, held by Yomade Aborishade, 46, of Lagos, Nigeria,
who was arrested a year ago after expelling 100 pellets of heroin with a
combined weight of a little more than four pounds (1,814 grams).

“The
amount of pellets and heroin this woman ingested is incredible, a
serious health risk, and very troubling if these numbers become the new
normal,” said Christopher Hess, CBP port director for the Port of
Washington.

“We’re hopeful that this arrest sends a strong signal
that CBP officers are proving to be successful at detecting internal
concealment methods, and that we remain committed to working with our
law enforcement partners and intercepting this deadly poison before it
can reach our communities.”

CBP officers have turned Adebisi over
to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security
Investigations agents, and the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern
District of Virginia is prosecuting the case.

“We have seen larger
smuggling attempts, but usually concealed inside suitcases, commercial
goods or by other concealment methods,” CBP spokesman Steve Sapp told
AFP. “This is the largest, in pellet count and weight, by a swallower.”